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61-747: The Indiana Central Canal was a canal intended to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Ohio River . It was funded by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act , Indiana 's attempt to take part in the canal-building craze started by the Erie Canal . $ 3.5 million was allocated for the project, the largest piece of the entire $ 10 million Act. However, due to the Panic of 1837 , Indiana suffered financial difficulties and had to turn

122-615: A canal, gaining success with the Act of February 4, 1825, which finally approved the construction of the Ohio canal system. The canal was largely state-funded, using money acquired from selling off land near where the canals were to be dug. The state government planned and built two canals in the state: the Miami and Erie Canal, from Cincinnati to Toledo, connecting the Ohio River and Lake Erie; and

183-663: A commission of their own. The state legislature approved the plan and new commissioners appointed. After several legislative battles begun by proponents of the railroad, the Indiana General Assembly approved the borrowing of $ 200,000 to begin construction. On February 22, 1832, ground was broken and construction began. Construction of the canal reached Logansport by 1837. The Panic of 1837 devastated Indiana's program of internal improvements , but did not stop construction entirely. The canal reached Lafayette by 1843, Terre Haute by 1848 and Evansville by 1853. During

244-514: A community nonprofit organization dedicated to Indiana's canal heritage. The center serves as a physical focus for enjoyment of a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) segment of the canal that has been rebuilt and reopened as a waterway and parallel towpath . The museum is open daily, and an admission fee is charged. 40°35′28.6″N 86°40′49.6″W  /  40.591278°N 86.680444°W  / 40.591278; -86.680444 Miami and Erie Canal The Ohio Rhineland ( German : Ohio Rheinland )

305-447: A fairly intact canal segment that extends at least 5 mi (8.0 km) north to Tipp City. This segment includes an intact concrete weir near the abandoned Vandalia water treatment plant (aka "Tadmore Station") and a ruined lock (#16, "Picayune") about halfway to Tipp City along Canal Road. On the canal's southern end, a drained section is located in St. Bernard, Ohio 's Ludlow Park, where

366-614: A national canal system to connect many of the country's waterways. In 1807, Senator Thomas Worthington of Ohio (who later became governor) asked the Secretary of the Treasury for funds to improve roads and build canals in Ohio, yet did not have much success. At the time, many prominent leaders in the Democratic Republican Party believed that such improvements should be built not by the national government but by

427-585: A staircase so boats could navigate the difference in elevation. To supply water for the canal, manmade reservoirs such as Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Loramie in Shelby County were constructed, along with several feeder canals. Indian Lake in Logan County was greatly enlarged to provide a steadier supply of water for the Sidney feeder canal. Branch canals were built to serve as extensions from

488-418: Is 1876 during the months of May–October. Two mules pull the canal boat titled The Volunteer, while workers man the tiller and provide commentary to the passengers. Providence Metroparks boasts using original lock 44 as part of the tour. That lock is the only working lock in the state of Ohio. The northern portion of the towpath (from Fort Loramie to Delphos and beyond) is used as a hiking trail. The following

549-647: Is 42 miles (68 km) long. Legally referred to as the Cross Cut Canal. This created a link to the Central Canal and a route to Evansville. Since no other section of the Cross Cut Canal was contemplated nor built, it is considered historically to be part of the Wabash and Erie Canal. The canal had to overcome the 78 feet (24 m) at the summit. Water was supplied by the Eel River Feeder,

610-565: Is a German cultural region of Ohio. It was named by Rhinelanders and other Germans who settled the area in the mid-19th century. They named the canal "the Rhine" in reference to the river Rhine in Germany , and the newly settled area north of the canal as " Over the Rhine ". An early reference to the canal as "the Rhine" appears in the 1853 book White, Red, Black , in which traveler Ferenc Pulszky wrote, "The Germans live all together across

671-489: Is included in an Indiana State Museum Exhibit. Wabash and Erie Canal, America's longest at approximately 460 miles (740 km), linked Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio with Ohio River at Evansville 1853." After the lock was moved to the Indiana State Museum in 1992, a historical marker was placed at its location (just east of the interchange of I-469 and US-24) . At the same time that the lock was discovered, it

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732-1004: Is located just off Main Street (State Route 571) in Tipp City . Remains of the Excello lock are located in the Butler County Excello Locks Park near the intersection of State Route 73 and South Hamilton Middletown Road in Lemon Township . The massive west abutment of the Old Nine-mile Aqueduct over the Great Miami River is still present approximately 400 ft (120 m) upstream of the Taylorsville Dam east of Vandalia (Montgomery County). The abutment terminates

793-406: Is signed as being crossed by Interstate 64 at the milepost 32 crossing over Pigeon Creek. Travel along the canal was accomplished by canal packets. There were freight and passenger packets. The passenger packet consisted of a series of rooms along the length. Towards the front was the main saloon. Here meals were taken. This room was converted into a men's dorm for sleeping. The ladies saloon

854-597: The Deep Cut in Spencerville , Lock Two (a hamlet mostly consisting of period brick buildings), New Bremen , Minster , Fort Loramie , and Piqua . The Miami and Erie Canal Deep Cut was designated in 1964 as a U.S. National Historic Landmark near Spencerville. The Piqua Historical Area features a replica canal boat and other related items. Anthony Wayne Trail (part of U.S. Route 24 and State Route 25 ) in and around Toledo , originally named Canal Boulevard,

915-573: The Indianapolis Museum of Art . South of I-65, the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) long Indianapolis Canal Walk parallels the canal as a linear park. This section of trail is a multi-use pathway on both sides of the canal that passes many cultural sites with pedestrian bridges connecting the two sides. Six different species of turtle populate the Indianapolis section, and are studied to see how urban environments affect wildlife. In 1971,

976-542: The Ohio River to New Orleans , by sailing ship and keelboats, but the journey was long and costly. Even after steamboats arrived, it was difficult to return vessels upriver. High shipping costs severely limited trade and population growth in the state, especially in areas far from natural waterways such as Lake Erie or the Ohio River , which bounded the state on the north and south, respectively. To overcome these obstacles, many people, including George Washington and several other politicians, expressed early support for

1037-605: The Ohio and Erie Canal , which connected Cleveland, another lake port, to Portsmouth, Ohio, on the Ohio River. This system provided the interior of Ohio with new travel routes that effectively extended to the major Atlantic port of New York City , as merchants could ship goods through Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, and the Hudson River to New York. Because Ohio is not entirely flat, the system of locks had to be designed to act as

1098-699: The Wabash River . Here, the canal crossed 5 miles to the Little Wabash River and headed downstream through Indiana. Since this was the highest point on the canal (i.e., the summit), Fort Wayne became known as the "Summit City." Located along this section is the Vermilyea Inn Historic District . Roanoke – Lock 4 (originally Lock 1) was built between 1834-1835 and is found between the intersections of U.S. 24 & 2nd Street and U.S. 24 & 1st Street. Parts of

1159-655: The White River . Only Delaware and Madison counties saw significant progress, which consisted of limited digging. The eight fully completed miles (13 km) were entirely within the Indianapolis section, starting in Broad Ripple in 1836 and continuing roughly parallel the White River to downtown. Because this land was largely undeveloped and still forested, construction was difficult and slow. The section

1220-506: The Birch Creek Reservoir and Splunge Creek Reservoir. Work started in 1836 but abandoned in 1839. The project was completed in 1850, serving the Wabash and Erie Canal system until 1861. The Cross Cut Canal is considered to be part of the Wabash & Erie Canal System. Eel River Feeder Dam is 180 feet (55 m) long and 16.5 feet (5.0 m) high. It was completed in 1839. It was constructed to carry enough water from

1281-767: The Central Canal is now within White River State Park as well as running through the Indiana Government Center . The southern section was from Port Royal (now Waverly ) to Evansville. It was primarily surveyed by Francis Cleveland. The twenty miles (32 km) attempted were in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. The Central Canal Towpath of Indianapolis follows along a portion of the completed eight miles. Paved with compacted stone it runs from Broad Ripple to Burdsal Parkway near Riverside Park and passes by Butler University and

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1342-553: The Cross Cut Canal from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Worthington, Indiana (Point Commerce), and the Central Canal from Worthington to Evansville, Indiana . The United States Congress provided a land grant on March 2, 1827, for the canal's construction. On January 5, 1828, the Indiana General Assembly accepted the grant and appointed three commissioners. These commissioners concluded that the canal would have to extend into Ohio and petitioned that state to appoint

1403-402: The Erie Canal, the Ohio canal system had less trade and fewer passengers, while it had to operate over a longer length, and at a greater expense. The canal was completed just before most of the railroads in Ohio were built, and it had to compete directly with railroads for the remainder of its operation. Due to the canal freezing over in the winter, as well as the slowness of the boats, the canal

1464-542: The Loramie Summit, which extended 19 miles (31 km) between New Bremen, Ohio to lock 1-S in Lockington , north of Piqua, Ohio . Boats up to 80 feet long were towed along the canal by mules , horses , or oxen walking on a prepared towpath along the bank, at a rate of four to five miles per hour. Due to competition from railroads, which began to be built in the area in the 1850s, the commercial use of

1525-506: The Miami Canal, which is, therefore, here jocosely called the 'Rhine.' " In 1875 writer Daniel J. Kenny referred to the area exclusively as "Over the Rhine." He noted, "Germans and Americans alike love to call the district 'Over the Rhine.' " The Miami and Erie Canal was a 274-mile (441 km) canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo , Ohio , creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie . Construction on

1586-669: The Miami and Erie Canal crossed the Maumee River and turned south up the Auglaize River . At Junction, Ohio , a split occurred. Southward, the Miami and Erie Canal continued to the divide with the Great Miami and eventually the Ohio River at Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Wabash & Erie Canal continued west along the Maumee River to the portage at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Gronauer Lock No 2 "Wabash and Erie Canal lock

1647-601: The Wabash Canal made its last docking in 1874 in Huntington, Indiana ; other sections shut down years earlier. In 1887, Paulding County, Ohio , residents put the final nail in the canal system's coffin: unhappy with mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant waters of Six Mile Reservoir, they cut the dike and drained it in the Reservoir war . There were several other "reservoir wars" during the canal's colorful history over

1708-822: The West fork of the White and Patoka Rivers until reaching the Ohio River in Evansville , using Pigeon Creek . The Miami and Erie Canal runs from Toledo to Cincinnati . The route as far as the Napoleon Bend was used by the Wabash & Erie Canal to reach Lake Erie . The joint route includes the following towns and cities. Toledo, Bend View Metro park (towpath), Side Cut Metro park (towpath & 3 of 6 locks). Providence (operating canal section). Maumee, Waterville, Providence/Grand Rapids (locks and other canal features), Independence. Defiance At Defiance ,

1769-476: The arch culvert can still be seen in the creek Huntington – intersection of North Jefferson Street and East Washington on North Jefferson Street Canal Landing on Washington Street – The Huntington Landing started 120 feet (37 m) west on Washington St and continued to the lock at Cherry St. The Wabash & Erie canal was 4 feet (1.2 m) deep and 100 feet (30 m) wide as this point. Other locks were at First St. and Byron St. The Canal

1830-493: The banks of the canal in Delphi, Indiana. The interpretive center includes a model canal with a miniature reservoir, aqueduct, lock, and gristmill. The model canal boat Gen. Grant shows the type of boats that carried freight on the canal during its final years of full-scale operation from the 1860s to 1874. The visitor center was opened in 2003. The interpretive center is operated by the Wabash & Erie Canal Association ,

1891-460: The canal bed is still visible. The canal remains in water (and navigable for canoes or kayaks) in the rural region between Delphos and St. Marys, Ohio . South of St. Mary's, it has degraded to form a shallow ditch in most places, with some ruined locks remaining. From north to south along State Route 66 , sections of the original canal are visible in Delphos, at a small historic park located at

Indiana Central Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-403: The canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $ 8 million ($ 262 million in 2023). At its peak, it included 19 aqueducts , three guard locks , 103 canal locks , multiple feeder canals, and a few man-made water reservoirs. The canal climbed 395 feet (120 m) above Lake Erie and 513 feet (156 m) above the Ohio River to reach a topographical peak called

2013-463: The canal gradually declined during the late 19th century. It was permanently abandoned for commercial use in 1913 after a historic flood in Ohio severely damaged it. Only a small fraction of the canal survives today, along with its towpath and locks. When Ohio became a state in 1803, transportation to and within the state was difficult; settlers largely moved themselves and their goods on rivers and Lake Erie, for most roads were poor. In addition, Ohio

2074-613: The canal infrastructure along the southern portion of the route, where it paralleled the Great Miami River . The canal was permanently abandoned. What was not destroyed was no longer maintained, and slowly many of the remaining locks and sections of canal were destroyed, with the open canal filled in. Much of the original towpath was redeveloped as the right-of-way for the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad , an electric interurban streetcar that operated until 1938. Part of

2135-568: The canal over to the state's creditors, and building of the canal was stopped in 1839. The canal was supposed to extend 296 miles (476 km), from Peru, Indiana , to Evansville, Indiana , where it would reach the Ohio River. It was originally divided into two sections, North and South. Later, a third section was designated, called the Indianapolis section. Only eight miles (13 km) were completed, with an additional 80 miles (130 km) between Anderson, Indiana , and Martinsville, Indiana , having been partially built. Prior to its construction,

2196-482: The canal path was surveyed by Jesse Williams, the canal engineer of Indiana. The state of Indiana already owned most of the land required for the canal. The canal was 6 feet (1.8 m) deep and 60 feet (18 m) wide. The northern section was from Peru to Broad Ripple, Indiana . It was surveyed primarily by William Goody. It was to use the Mississinewa River to Alexandria, Indiana , and then parallel

2257-457: The canal underground and, by 1969, the IWC had ceased using it as a source of power for its West Washington Street pumping station . Subsequently, In 1976, the IWC deeded the canal south of 16th Street to the city of Indianapolis. The city later undertook a project, beginning in 1985, to drain, rebuild, lower, and then restore water to the remaining downtown section of the canal. Some of that portion of

2318-553: The canal was designated by the American Water Works Association as an American Water Landmark . Wabash and Erie Canal The canal known as the Wabash & Erie in the 1850s and thereafter, was actually a combination of four canals: the Miami and Erie Canal from the Maumee River near Toledo, Ohio , to Junction, Ohio , the original Wabash and Erie Canal from Junction to Terre Haute, Indiana ,

2379-491: The canal was not economically viable. Even when canal boats were operated at extremely slow speeds, the banks rapidly eroded, and the canal had to be constantly dredged to be operable. Terre Haute , Indiana, housed the headquarters of the canal from 1847 through 1876, when the canal lands were sold at an auction conducted by resident trustee Thomas Dowling at the Vigo County Courthouse . The last canalboat on

2440-466: The canal, although these varied by region of the state. The Miami and Erie never proved to be as profitable as the state government had hoped, as within several years of being completed to Lake Erie it had to compete with railroads . These offered greater speed and capacity for both passengers and goods. Factors limiting the canal's success included the lower population and level of economic development in Ohio, compared to that of New York when its canal

2501-480: The headwaters at Fort Wayne, Indiana . From here, it follows the historic Indian portage to the Wabash River . Following the Wabash River, again on its north side, this is now the right bank. The canal heads downstream to Delphi. At this location, it crosses to the left bank (eastside). Continuing down the Wabash to Terre Haute , the canal turns southeast from the Wabash, using several other riverways, including

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2562-462: The individual states. The United States Congress approved national canal legislation in 1817, 1822, and 1830, but each bill was vetoed by the sitting president. Consequently, the burden of building canals passed to the states. The Erie Canal in New York proved to be an early success after it was completed in 1825. The Ohio House and Senate had worked for two decades to pass legislation authorizing

2623-511: The left bank (southside). A dam was built across the Wabash River at Pitts to create a slack water area to allow the boats to cross the river without an aqueduct. The Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center, a re-watered section of the canal, working canal boat, bridge, and mill site welcome visitors. Lafayette , Attica , Fountain County , Covington , Montezuma , Terre Haute Eel River Section Between Terre Haute and Worthington,

2684-566: The main canal. The Warren County Canal , was a branch canal constructed from the Miami and Erie Canal at Middletown to Lebanon . This branch was opened in 1840, but remained in operation less than 15 years before being abandoned. A short branch, the Sidney or Port Jefferson feeder canal ran up the Miami Valley from Lockington through Sidney to a dam just upstream from Port Jefferson. The following list includes measurement standards for

2745-447: The new railway quite convenient for passengers and many businesses. The canal from Napoleon to Toledo was paved over to make U.S. Route 24 . The Wabash & Erie Canal travels 497 miles (800 km) from Toledo, Ohio , on Lake Erie to Evansville, Indiana , on the Ohio River . Its route takes it along the left bank or north side of the Maumee River from Toledo to the south side right bank near Defiance, Ohio, and eventually to

2806-606: The right-of-way was converted to the Wright-Lockland Highway (now part of Interstate 75 ). From 1920 to 1925, six million dollars was spent to use the bed of the canal to build a downtown subway in Cincinnati. The surface was later paved over to form Central Parkway, as funds ran out before the Cincinnati Subway could be completed. In the central and northern regions, a large portion of the canal

2867-602: The river to enable navigation of boats on the proposed Crosscut Canal. The feeder dam was repaired and extended in 1850 to be 264 feet (80 m) long. Riley , Worthington From Newberry south, the W&;E Canal followed the route of the Central Canal. The Central Canal was planned from Logansport, through Indianapolis and south to Evansville. Only the section from Newberry south and a few miles in Indianapolis were built. Newberry, Edwardsport, Petersburg, Francisco ( Pigeon Creek section begins), Evansville, Indiana . The canal

2928-609: The same issue, including the Clay County Canal War in Indiana . The right-of-way through Fort Wayne was purchased by the New York, Chicago and Lake Erie Railway (the Nickel Plate Road ) which ran from Buffalo to Chicago. This allowed the railway to run straight through the heart of a major midwestern city without razing a single home. The canal right-of-way was also directly adjacent to downtown, which made

2989-553: The summer of 1991, the Gronauer Lock was uncovered at New Haven, Indiana , during the construction of I-469 . This is the only intact wooden timber lock discovered. Part of the Gronauer Lock is now on display at the Indiana State Museum . The high-line sections of the canal proved to be high maintenance and the cost of their repair is what eventually led to the collapse of the canal company. The worst offender

3050-457: Was also revealed that a property located on the opposite side of the interchange was used by the keeper of the lock. In light of INDOT 's plans to renovate the I-469 and US-24 interchange, the historical marker has been removed from the location, and most all of the buildings on the lock-keeper's property have been demolished. Fort Wayne is located at an old portage between the Maumee River and

3111-486: Was built of stone on this site by General John Tipton in 1835. Standing on the bank of the Wabash and Erie Canal, it was a commercial, political and social center. From 1862 to 1872 it housed one of the first public schools and was destroyed in 1873. Forks of the Wabash Park (Museum), Richvalley , Peru , Logansport , Delphi , In Delphi, the canal crossed the Wabash from the right bank (northside) to

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3172-535: Was built on the canal right-of-way, and various relics of the canal survive along the corridor. Much of the canal corridor continues as a prosperous manufacturing area; today Interstate 75 and railroads provide the chief transportation means. An historical reenactment of the Miami-Erie canal days is held during summer and early fall months at Providence Metropark along the Maumee River just west of Toledo near Grand Rapids . Historical actors dress and act as if it

3233-436: Was completed from Fort Wayne to Huntington on July 3, 1835, and from Toledo to Evansville, 459 miles (739 km), in 1854. The Canal preceded the railroad to Huntington by 20 years, spurring early settlement. The Canal was abandoned in 1873. Rook House – at the intersection of East Park Drive (U.S. 224) and Warren on East Park Drive. located on the south wall of the building. The first permanent hotel of Huntington

3294-485: Was completed in 1839. In the last half of the 19th century, various water companies used the section to power the water system in Indianapolis, which used purified well water and not canal water. In 1904, the Indianapolis Water Company (IWC) finally took advantage of the partially built canal as a source for a purification plant. In the late 1960s, construction of Interstate 65 forced a section of

3355-425: Was completed. Second, while New York had one canal that was located at the bottleneck of Great Lakes trade, Ohio had two canals, which spread usage too thinly. Third, was the expense of building and maintaining the canals. While the Erie Canal was 363 miles in length, with an elevation change of 700 feet, the combined length of Ohio's canals was 557 miles, with an elevation change of 2,096 feet. Compared to operations of

3416-597: Was destroyed when it was filled in to create parts of I-75, U.S. Route 24 , and State Route 25 . Some smaller portions of right-of-way have been converted to bike trails for recreational and local commuting use. Although urban development has destroyed most vestiges of the canal, some locks and sections of the waterway have survived. One of the original locks (#17) is located in the Carillon Historical Park in Dayton . An unrestored but complete lock (#15)

3477-512: Was discovered here June 1991 during excavation for highway construction. It was built 1838–1840 by Henry Lotz and named for lock keeper Joseph Gronauer. The rare, well-preserved timber-frame design lock measured 115 by 40 feet (35 by 12 m); lock chamber was 90 by 15 feet (27.4 by 4.6 m); two-thirds of the total structure was excavated and removed." "Numerous artifacts and 750 pieces of timber were recovered. After extensive preservation treatment, approximately 5 percent of total lock structure

3538-641: Was geographically separated from the East Coast by the barrier of the Appalachian Mountains . This made life difficult for early citizens because goods from the Atlantic Coast and Europe were difficult to obtain and often very expensive due to transportation costs. For the same reasons, it was difficult for Ohio businessmen and farmers to sell their products to markets outside the state. Some entrepreneurs began to ship goods from Ohio down

3599-501: Was less practical than railroads, especially for perishable goods and passenger traffic. Although the canal services were often cheaper than the railroads, particularly for bulk cargoes such as grain and salted pork, the canal had largely ceased to operate by 1906. The catastrophic Great Dayton Flood of 1913 and the subsequent flood control measures constructed by the Miami Conservancy District destroyed much of

3660-405: Was the common muskrat which were plentiful in the area. They would build burrows in the sides of the canal walls and once they tunneled through on the opposite side the water quickly washed out the entire wall of the levee which rendered the canal useless until it could be repaired. The canal began operation in the summer of 1843. It only operated for about a decade before it became apparent that

3721-401: Was towards the back of the boat. It was the women's sleeping dorm at night. Packets were pulled by three horses, oxen, or a mixture of oxen and horses. The most common problems identified in journals of that time were, heat, mosquitoes, and the close proximity to the other passengers. The Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center is an interpretive center and open-air village located on

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